Improvement in burial apparatus



J. PATTERSON & N. WHEELER.

Buri al Apparatus.

Patented May 28,1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME PATTERSON AND NORTON WHEELER, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT |N BURIAL APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,366, dated May 28, 1878; application filed 4 April '24, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JEROME PATTERSON and NORTON WHEELER, of Sharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Apparatus; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved device or apparatus for burial purposes, the object being to do away with the necessity for the use of ropes in lowering caskets into graves, and the consequent necessity for the presence of the workmen or grave-diggers in performing this operation.

With our new devices or apparatus the mourners themselves are enabled to lower the casket into the grave with safety and decency, and without having the ,solemn services interrupted by having to wait until, by the obtrusive services of the workmen referred to, the casket has been deposited and the rope usually employed by them withdrawn.

Our improved devices consist in hooked rods of peculiar construction, provided with handles, and used in connection with ornamental devices secured to the sides or ends of the casket, said ornamental devices being provided with rings, staples, or eyes, with which the hooked ends of the rods engage, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a casket having our improved devices attached thereto and in position while the casket is being lowered into the grave. Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the casket lowered and the rods in position to become detached therefrom.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the casket; B, ornamental devices secured to the sides thereof, and provided with staples or eyes I). These ornamental devices maybe of any desired pattern, size, shape, and material, and the ring or staple attached thereto may also be made of any suitable or desired material or pattern, and any desired number of these ornaments and rings may be used, though two-one at each endis the lowest number that can be employed.

0 represents the rods, having hook ends 0 and handles D, said handles being arranged at different points in the length of the rod. The hooks c from the bends to the points are made longer than the diameter of the rings on the ornament, for the purpose hereinafter stated. The rods may be made of any suitable or desired material, and ornamental, if desired.

The operation is as follows: Each pallbearer or mourner who has been chosen to perform this part of the ceremony is provided with one of the rods 0, the hook of which is passed through the ring or staple of the ornamental device from the ends of the casket inwardly, as shown by the drawing, the person holding the other end standing at the corner of the grave, thereby throwing the hooks at an incline from the center of the casket, so that it is impossible for them to become detached while in this position. By means of w the several handles on the rods the casket is then conveniently lowered into the grave.

To remove the rods from the rings on the casket, it is only necessary to incline them in the opposite direction, or inwardly, as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, when the hooks will become detached from the ring.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The rods 0, constructed as described, with hooks c and handles D, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the rods 0, constructed with hook ends and handles, as described, with the rings or staples b, the latter being attached to a burial-casket, the whole arranged for operation in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we hereto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME PATTERSON. NORTON WHEELER.

Witnesses ABNER APPLEGATE, WILLIAM APPLEGATE. 

